The title of this post is not a true statement. But there was a time as a child when I thought it was. I grew up in western Illinois, barely fifteen miles from the Mississippi River and Keokuk, Iowa, which is the southeastern portion of the state. The Mississippi River forms the Illinois-Iowa border. The Des Moines River forms a short portion of the Iowa-Missouri border in that part of the state. When I was a child, if we went to Iowa we crossed the Mississippi River. If we went to Missouri, we either crossed the Des Moines River or the Mississippi River (depending upon how we travelled). But the thing was, given our always limited travel radius, we always crossed a river to go into a new […]
If you are using information that you transcribed or manually copied, always double check it for accuracy before completing your analysis or constructing online searches. It can be very easy to transcribe something incorrectly or transpose digits in an age or year of birth. Doublechecking may save you time and frustration. ——————— Search for your ancestors in GenealogyBank’s newspaper collection.
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Putting a clause in your will that “my genealogical papers are to go to the BlahBlah Library” without some advance planning could have unintended consequences. Some thoughts on preserving your “files” and papers by donating to a library or archives: libraries may not want or be able to maintain random copies of public records that are available elsewhere libraries may not want or be able to maintain random copies made from published books unorganized materials are difficult for libraries to inventory and manage and they are difficult for patrons to use photographs, personal certificates, and other “unique” items are more likely to be preserved and collected, but it can be difficult for some facilities to afford to maintain these collections–consider leaving some financial legacy (if possible) to assist […]
There are many reasons to organize your genealogical data, including: noticing clues you did not notice before; finding gaps in your research; making it easier for you to share your research; reducing the number of times you locate something you already have; making it easier for you to publish your information (if that’s your goal); making it easier for someone to preserve your information after your death; making it easier for someone looking at your information to help you; and saving money if you hire a professional–they will have to organize it for you before they can help. Help support Genealogy Tip of the Day by visiting any of the following sites: Try a GenealogyBank Genealogy Search to see what you find. Newspapers.com AncestryDNA offers Books on Michael’s Genealogy Shelf
In any record or genealogical reference that lists a group of relatives or family members, determine if there are individuals who should be there who are not. Sometimes this is easier to do that others, but it’s still a good exercise. The 1959 reference in the illustration is to a birthday party where siblings and nieces and nephews birthday celebrant were in attendance. The newspaper lists two individuals as “Mrs.” with no “Mr.” listed. In one case, the husband was deceased. In the other case, he was not (it’s not known why he did not attend). I also made certain that there were no other siblings of the celebrant besides the ones listed. One guest was actually the girlfriend of one of the nephews but that is not […]
The 1870 US federal census instructions include detailed instructions about how occupations are to be listed. Among the distinctions to be made was the one between “housekeeper” and “keeping house.” Someone who was a “housekeeper” was one who received wages for performing that service. Someone keeping house for their own family members was to be listed as “keeping house.” Instructions for the census were to be followed precisely, but like anything else, there can be variation from one census enumerator to another. The complete set of 1870 census instructions can be found online at https://www.census.gov/history/pdf/1870instructions-2.pdf Help support Genealogy Tip of the Day by visiting any of the following sites: Try a GenealogyBank Genealogy Search to see what you find. Newspapers.com AncestryDNA offers Books on Michael’s Genealogy Shelf
I realize county boundary changes can create genealogical research challenges, but there are times when it seems like some individuals think those changes are the solution to every research problem. It’s not. Just because an approach works sometimes or because you heard a professional use it a few times does not mean that the approach works all the time. An individual was having difficulty locating the birth certificate of their ancestor in a rural Illinois county in 1902. The first two responses to their question were: “did the county boundary change?” It is important to be aware of county boundary changes. There is no doubt about that, but context matters. By 1902 in most US states east of the Mississippi River (and quite a few others to be […]
Some researchers are anxious to begin their foreign research as soon as they learn they have an ancestor born in a foreign country. This hasty approach may cause you to look in the wrong place or to lack adequate information to perform your search “across the pond.” Research the ancestor in the area of settlement first, as completely as possible. Doing so may provide more detailed information about his or her origins and may also give you names of potential siblings or relatives who might be easier to track across the ocean. Complete research in the area of settlement (expanding into known relatives who immigrated as well) generally helps the researcher to pinpoint where “across the pond” they need to research. There are exceptions (my Annie Murphy for […]
We often want something “personal” about our ancestor and, when pictures are not available, signatures can be a great substitute. Just make certain that it really is your relative’s signature and not something written by the clerk or records official. In the US, record copies of deeds, wills, and other documents contain transcriptions of what was in the original document–including the signature. That’s the case with the “handwriting” of the Sledds’ in the illustration. It is from the record copy of the deed they signed. The record copy of a record is the official copy retained by the local records office. If you have located an image of the actual deed, will, etc. then that rendering usually is the actual signature. The 1889 signature of Ulfert Behrens (as […]
It can be easy to get bogged down in thinking you have a location of a genealogical event correct or that it “couldn’t have happened anywhere else” or it “couldn’t have happened there.” Thinking such thoughts can cause the researcher to make incorrect interpretations, overlook materials that could provide information, etc. Is it possible that the place of birth you have for an ancestor could be wrong? Look at the actual source of that information and ask yourself exactly how reliable is that type of record and what is the probability that the likely informant on the record actually had good knowledge of the information? Help support Genealogy Tip of the Day by visiting any of the following sites: Try a GenealogyBank Genealogy Search to see what you find. Newspapers.com FamilyTreeDNA AncestryDNA offers MyHeritage […]
A DNA test is not a pair of socks. A DNA test is not some coffee table book that will sit unopened gathering dust until your children clean out your house and donate it or throw it away. Once taken and submitted for analysis, a DNA test has the potential to unlock some details about your family’s past and start a lifelong trek of wonderful discovery. For those with little interest, it may be a fifteen minute diversion. Then there are other situations. A DNA test also has the potential to create extreme family distress and discord if it turns out that “close” family members are not “family” after all or that there are some “close” family members that no one ever knew about. DNA test results can […]
Sometimes relationship terms are also used as terms of affection, even if there is no biological relationship. Take care when a letter, diary, or a relative refers to someone as an “aunt” or an “uncle.” The use of the term may have been done out of respect and not necessarily indicate a biological relationship. Of course, you may gain some clues or insight by researching this person, but if you find no biological connection between the individual and your family be open to the possibility that “Grandma” wasn’t really “Grandma” after all. Those non-biological relationships mattered to our ancestors and they should matter to us as well. They give us a fuller picture of our ancestor’s life. They can help us overcome some of those research challenges that […]
Happy Thanksgiving to our readers in the US. I’ve been thinking about what genealogical discoveries I’ve been thankful for other the past year or so—and making certain that I’ve documented those findings, organized the material that I have located, and reviewed the material for extra clues contained in those items that I may have overlooked. That last part is perhaps the best: it’ll take me a while to review the Virginia chancery court cases that have been my best discoveries of the year. If you’re inclined to spend a little money over the post-Thanksgiving weekend, considering using these links as it helps Genealogy Tip of the Day when you do. AncestryDNA FamilyTreeDNA
So you interviewed your relative twenty years ago when you first started genealogy. Have you thought about interviewing them again? Maybe they remember something now they didn’t remember before or are willing to discuss something they didn’t want to discuss twenty years ago. You may have discovered new information you want to mention to them or ask them about. Relatives who “were the reason they kept quiet about certain things” may not longer be living and the reason to be quiet may be gone. It is worth a shot. Help support Genealogy Tip of the Day by visiting any of the following sites: Try a GenealogyBank Genealogy Search to see what you find. Newspapers.com FamilyTreeDNA AncestryDNA offers Books on Michael’s Genealogy Shelf
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